diff --git a/lang/en/message.php b/lang/en/message.php
index 6cfc1e66439..a4eeef89cfe 100644
--- a/lang/en/message.php
+++ b/lang/en/message.php
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ $string['contactblocked'] = 'Contact blocked';
 $string['contactlistempty'] = 'Contact list empty';
 $string['contacts'] = 'Contacts';
 $string['context'] = 'context';
-$string['conversations'] = 'Conversations';
 $string['defaultmessageoutputs'] = 'Default message outputs';
 $string['defaults'] = 'Defaults';
 $string['deleteallconfirm'] = "Are you sure you would like to delete this entire conversation?";
@@ -111,8 +110,7 @@ $string['newonlymsg'] = 'Show only new';
 $string['newsearch'] = 'New search';
 $string['noframesjs'] = 'Use more accessible interface';
 $string['nocontacts'] = 'No contacts';
-$string['noconversations'] = 'No conversations';
-$string['nomessages'] = 'No messages waiting';
+$string['nomessages'] = 'No messages';
 $string['nomessagesfound'] = 'No messages were found';
 $string['noreply'] = 'Do not reply to this message';
 $string['nosearchresults'] = 'There were no results from your search';
@@ -190,7 +188,7 @@ $string['userisblockingyou'] = 'This user has blocked you from sending messages
 $string['userisblockingyounoncontact'] = '{$a} only accepts messages from their contacts.';
 $string['userssearchresults'] = 'Users found: {$a}';
 $string['viewinganotherusersmessagearea'] = 'You are viewing another user\'s message area.';
-$string['viewconversation'] = 'View conversation';
+$string['viewmessages'] = 'View messages';
 $string['viewmessageswith'] = 'View messages with {$a}';
 $string['viewnotificationresource'] = 'Go to: {$a}';
 $string['viewunreadmessageswith'] = 'View unread messages with {$a}';
diff --git a/message/output/popup/templates/message_popover.mustache b/message/output/popup/templates/message_popover.mustache
index 108da12e7a1..8d170f12658 100644
--- a/message/output/popup/templates/message_popover.mustache
+++ b/message/output/popup/templates/message_popover.mustache
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
 
     {{$content}}
         <div class="messages" data-region="messages" role="log" aria-busy="false" aria-atomic="false" aria-relevant="additions"></div>
-        <div class="empty-message" data-region="empty-message" tabindex="0">{{#str}} nomessagesfound, message {{/str}}</div>
+        <div class="empty-message" data-region="empty-message" tabindex="0">{{#str}} nomessages, message {{/str}}</div>
     {{/content}}
 {{/ core/popover_region }}
 {{#js}}
diff --git a/message/templates/message_area_contacts.mustache b/message/templates/message_area_contacts.mustache
index 756dd86e35f..b922590f8f9 100644
--- a/message/templates/message_area_contacts.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/message_area_contacts.mustache
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 {{^contacts}}
     <div class="nocontacts" data-region="no-contacts">
         {{#isconversation}}
-            {{#str}}noconversations, message{{/str}}
+            {{#str}}nomessages, message{{/str}}
         {{/isconversation}}
         {{^isconversation}}
             {{#str}}nocontacts, message{{/str}}
diff --git a/message/templates/message_area_contacts_area.mustache b/message/templates/message_area_contacts_area.mustache
index 852f6d5790e..204a2195e6f 100644
--- a/message/templates/message_area_contacts_area.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/message_area_contacts_area.mustache
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 <div class="tabs">
     <div class="tab tabconversations selected" data-action="conversations-view" role="tab" aria-controls="conversations-tab-panel" aria-selected="true" tabindex="0">
         <div class="tabimage">{{#pix}}t/message, moodle{{/pix}}</div>
-        <div>{{#str}}conversations, message{{/str}}</div>
+        <div>{{#str}}messages, message{{/str}}</div>
     </div>
     <div class="tab tabcontacts" data-action="contacts-view" role="tab" aria-controls="contacts-tab-panel" aria-selected="false" tabindex="-1">
         <div class="tabimage">{{#pix}}i/cohort, moodle{{/pix}}</div>
diff --git a/message/templates/message_area_messages_area.mustache b/message/templates/message_area_messages_area.mustache
index b5cdf485d61..cd06e52ee61 100644
--- a/message/templates/message_area_messages_area.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/message_area_messages_area.mustache
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 }}
 <div class="messages-header">
     <div class="view-toggle btn-container">
-        <button class="btn btn-link" data-action="show-contacts">{{#str}} back {{/str}}</button>
+        <button class="btn btn-link" data-action="show-contacts">&lt; {{#str}} messages, message {{/str}}</button>
     </div>
     <div class="delete-all btn-container">
         <button class="btn btn-link" data-action="delete-all-messages">{{#str}} deleteall {{/str}}</button>
diff --git a/message/templates/message_area_profile.mustache b/message/templates/message_area_profile.mustache
index f66de0a1120..13250a3ce40 100644
--- a/message/templates/message_area_profile.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/message_area_profile.mustache
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 }}
 <div class="profile-header">
     <div class="view-toggle btn-container">
-        <button class="btn btn-link show-contacts" data-action="show-contacts">{{#str}} back {{/str}}</button>
+        <button class="btn btn-link show-contacts" data-action="show-contacts">&lt; {{#str}} contacts, message {{/str}}</button>
     </div>
 </div>
 <div class="profile" data-userid="{{userid}}" data-region="profile">
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
             <a data-action="profile-view" href="#">{{#str}}viewprofile{{/str}}</a>
         </div>
         <div class="separator">
-            <a data-action="profile-send-message" href="#">{{#str}}viewconversation, message{{/str}}</a>
+            <a data-action="profile-send-message" href="#">{{#str}}viewmessages, message{{/str}}</a>
         </div>
         <div class="separator">
             {{#isblocked}}